Articles

Rise up: Understanding trout rise forms

Deciphering rise forms is the key to unlocking a hatch
Sippin' (photo: Jason Jagger).

Aside from a healthy dose of luck, a well-rounded education on aquatic insects is the most valuable piece of tackle for any fly fisher. Certainly a witless angler with a $1,000 fly rod might get lucky and catch a fish or two just out of sheer persistence, but a fly fisher with an old Fenwick Fenglass from the 70s and a studied understanding of how trout eat will always put more fish in the net.

Cutthroat cannibals

Cutthroat trout are more aggressive than they're commonly regarded, pursue them accordingly
Photo: Thomas Brimer

When I usually think of cutthroat trout — no matter where I go to catch them, from northern New Mexico to southern British Columbia — I think of elegant wild trout that are quick to rise to dry flies. Given where they live, and the fish with which they often share habitat, I seldom think of cutthroats as fish that, well, eat other fish.

And that’s a mistake.

Review: BOTE Rackham Aero inflatable paddleboard

Bote's angler-geared, inflatable, "Bugslinger" SUP is a stable, agile platform
Photo: Chad Shmukler

For going on a decade now, each spring I've been fortunate enough to be able to take my family to the incredibly fishy island waters of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusett's famed Cape Cod. We arrive before the summer season starts, before we're priced out of all the vacation rentals, and spend as much time as we possibly can soaking up the salt air on the beaches and waters that ring the island.

Review: YETI Roadie 24 Hard Cooler

YETI's reincarnation of its tried-and-true classic is better than ever
The new-for-2020 YETI Roadie (photo: Chad Shmukler).

Long before YETI redefined the entire soft cooler genre with its well-loved Hopper series, it had another cooler built for portability and smaller loads—its vaunted Roadie hard cooler. The original Roadie 20 has been a staple in YETI's lineup for well over a decade and year after year has been one of the brand's best sellers.

Review: Korkers Terror Ridge wading boots

Does Korkers' inclusion of Heel Lock technology in its newest boots make for better wading?
Photo: Spencer Durrant

If you’re anything like me, you put a fair number of miles on your wading boots each year. From short one-mile wades after work, to long Saturdays spent alone in the high country. The distance racks up quickly — as does the wear and tear on boots not designed for miles of hiking rugged terrain.

Thankfully, manufacturers have started building boots to perform well in and out of the water, although it’s taken a few years for anyone to find a reasonable solution that balances the need for rigid stability on a rocky, unpredictable river bottom, and flexibility for longer hiking.

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